7/10
Great - Another Rosamund John film for my collection
20 May 2016
Rosamund John has always been one of my film heroines.My collection of her films includes "Green for Danger" (1946), "The Way to the Stars" (1944), "The First of the Few" (1942), "The Upturned Glass" (1947) & "The Lamp Still Burns (1943).In each she plays stoic British heroines often with a background of WWII.In "When The Bough Breaks (1947) she plays a woman who works in a day care home for children while their mothers are at work.She cannot have children herself although she desperately yearns for one.

Along comes Pat Roc with her little Jimmy whose father is a bigamist and who we never see.Holding down a job in a departmental store and being a mother proves too much for Pat Roc and she agrees informally without legal documents that middle class Rosamund and her husband can adopt little Jimmy until such time as she can stand on her feet financially.She has a best friend (Brenda Bruce) who works at the same big store as her, who is married to Leslie Dwyer with four children. Going to a dance Pat meets Bill Owen when friendship gradually turns to affection and then love.

The nub of the film examines the emotional drama between the natural mother (Pat Roc) and the adoptive mother (Rosamund John) and how this affects Jimmy who after 8 years has to live with his natural mother despite loving his adoptive parents.I won't divulge the final scene, suffice it to say things turn out happily for all concerned.I've been waiting for this movie to be uploaded by someone for some time and am glad this is a new addition to the YouTube.com stable of vintage 1940s movies seen today 20/5/16
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